Russian President to visit occupied Abkhazia
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Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Russian occupied region of Georgia – Abkhazia on the ninth anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war, Russian news agency Ð ÐÐ said.
According to the news agency, within his short visit to Abkhazia, Putin will meet with de-facto President of Abkhazia Raul Khajimba.
Representative of Russia’s State Duma Konstantin Zatulin said Putin’s visit is connected with the tense situation in Abkhazia and United States Vice President Mike Pence’s recent trip to Georgia.
- On his first official visit to Georgia earlier today Pence announced Trump will sign new sanctions against Russia, Iran and North Korea for their destructive actions, the bill adopted by Congress several days ago.
- He also said that his country "strongly condemns” Russia’s occupation of Georgian soil and supports the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Russia recognised Abkhazia and the other Georgian breakaway region of Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) as independent countries after a military armed conflict with Georgia in 2008.
As of today, only four countries recognise Georgia’s breakaway regions as independent republics; these are Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru.
US Vice President Mike Pence has addressed the soldiers participating in the Noble Partner 2017 large-scale military exercise, where he stressed the US supports Georgia’s NATO integration and announced President Donald Trump will sign new sanctions against Russia.
US Vice President Mike Pence, who is on his first official visit to Georgia, stresses that his country "strongly condemns” Russia’s occupation of Georgian soil and supports the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Kvirikashvili stated US is Georgia’s dedicated friend, a faithful geopolitical ally and a strategic partner, with whom we share common values and global security priorities."Our strategic goal is to retake our rightful place in the family of European nations," the PM stressed.
The United States Congress says President Donald Trump "should call on the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw all of its forces from the territories of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova”.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has responded to the Russian top officials planned visit to Georgia’s western occupied Abkhazia region and stressed it is an attempt from Russia "to legalize occupation of the forcibly grabbed historic Georgian lands.”
Georgia has strongly condemned the recent visit of Syrian lawmakers to the country’s western occupied Abkhazia region.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement condemning Nauru’s President Baron Waqa’s recent visit to occupied Abkhazia, in Georgia’s west.
The Russian Federation continues its military occupation and illegal militarisation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), thus destabilising the situation in the entire region and violating the fundamental rights of the local population, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria has released an official statement regarding the recognition of occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.
Georgia has started procedures to cut diplomatic relations with the Syrian Arab Republic, announces the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The decision came after Syria officially recognised the independence of occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions today.